How many times have you dreamed of seeing the world? I bet you’re still doing it right this very moment: wishing you could just pack – you know what, not even pack. Just grab the bare necessities and go on an adventure. We were all born adventurers and explorers, just forgot how to do it. It’s all in the excuses: not enough money, not enough time, too comfortable, too caught up in work or school… The reasons we invoke for not doing anything towards fixing the ‘I don’t travel enough’ problem are endless.
Well, CouchSurfing is a tight knit community that can solve the ‘not enough money’ problem pretty fast. Plus you get to make new friends and experience the ways of the locals in the process. Interested? Read on.
The basic idea is this:
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- you make an account on their site, couchsurfing.org
- fill in your profile (make it interesting and stay true to yourself. You want to meet people you’re actually compatible with.)
- fill in your profile (make it interesting and stay true to yourself. You want to meet people you’re actually compatible with.)
- get verified (you’ll have to pay a small fee and wait for a postcard with a verification code to arrive. Then you enter your code and you’re good to go.)
- start searching for available ‘couches’ in the area you want to travel to.
- travel!
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Of course, ‘couch’ is an umbrella-term that covers anything from an actual bed to a bit of floor space to put your sleeping bag on. Either way you get free housing and, honestly, do you really need more than a roof over your head and a functional bathroom? Thought not.
Many of you are probably already wondering: ‘Yes, but is it safe?’ Of course it is. If you learn to use the site correctly, that is. There are a few guidelines concerning the safety issue, but the main idea is this one: do NOT accept to stay at an unverified person that seems shady even in the slightest. Always read their comments and credentials, to make sure you’re not going to end up somewhere in Morocco in some crazy person’s basement, tied up and gagged – and not with your consent. Read more about this on their safety page.
With CouchSurfing you can not only travel, but also host. Ain’t that cool? If you happen to have an available ‘couch’, say so in your profile and wait for the incoming requests from people wanting to meet your wonderful self. Just choose your guests wisely. You can always politely tell them to leave if they cause any trouble.
So what are you waiting for? It’s almost travel-season! Pick a destination and find a fellow couchsurfer willing to show you a good time.
